Relish dish



' L. ARCEO June 3, 1958 RELISH DISH 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 151, 1955 HAW/WHAT) INVENTOR. Lours ARcEo L. ARCEO RELISH DISH June 3, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 31, 1955 INVENTOR. Lows ARcEo L. ARCEO RELISH DISH June 3, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 31, 1955 INVENTOR. LOUIS ARCEO BY 5 AYYIRAA') RELISH DISH Louis Arceo, New York, N. Y. 7

Application August 31, 1955, Serial No. 531,711

' 1 Claim. (Cl. 211-129) This invention relates to a dish in which. may be served various relishes, appetizers, and small food items, such as olives, radishes, and certain kinds of hors doeuvres.

Summarized briefly, the invention comprises a dish having an ornamentalshape, the dish formed in accordance with the present invention being of ceramic or other suitable material, and being shaped as a small statuette in the form of a female figure dressed in a gown the skirt portion of which is formed with circumferentially extending series of shallow cavities each adapted to hold a quantity of the selected food.

One important object of the present invention is to provide a device of the type referred to which will be so designed as to representan attractive centerpiece on a dinner or banquet table, with the several cavities provided in the article being so located as to be readily accessible from all sides of the food dish.

Another important object of the present invention is to so form the cavities in the skirt portion of the gown as to cause said cavities to simulate an ornamentation of the gown itself.

Yet another object of importance is to provide, in at least one form of the invention, a removable, circular element adapted to be positioned over the greatest part of the area of the skirt portion of the statuette, with the removable element being itself adapted to hold various, different delicacies.

Yet another object of importance is to provide, in another form of the invention, a removable element which will be rotatable upon the skirt portion of the basic article, in such a manner as to impart to the device the functions of a Lazy Susan, so that'the rotatable means can be turned as necessary to permit ready access to any of various delicacies carried by the dish.

Still another object of importance is to provide a device of the type referred to in which the removable elements mentioned above will be designed for selective use of the same upon a single food dish having the ornamental shape previously mentioned,-so that the-article can be sold, so to speak, as a set, with the set including the basic dish and the two removable elements, one rotatable to provide a Lazy Susan and the other being adapted to interengage with the basic, supporting dish in such a manner as to be held against rotation upon the dish.

For further comprehension of the invention, andof the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings,

and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a food dish formed according. to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view, in which portions have been shown in section, of a modified form of the device showing a removable food dish supported upon the basic article.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view, a portion being shown in section, of a second modification wherein the removable element mounted upon the basic dish is freely rotatable upon said dish.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the food dish, showing another modified form of the invention with the skirt and head members separated.

The reference numeral 10 generally designates a relish dish formed in accordance with the present invention. The dish can be of any suitable material, such as a ceramic material, and as shown, is in the ornamental shape of a statuette of a woman, the statuette having an upper portion 12 integral with a lower, skirt portion 15. The skirt portion 15 is of circular cross section, and is flared to a pronounced degree in the direction of the lower end thereof, in the shape of a full skirt of the gown worn by the female figure.

As shown, the skirt portion is so designed as to simulate a tiered skirt, having an upper tier 14, and tiers 16, 1%, and 20 increased progressively in diameter in the direction of the lower end of the article, with each tier being flared downwardly.

Forming separation lines for, the several tiers are circumferential, annular beads 22, 24, 25, 28 respectively, the bead 23 providing a base for the article by means of which it is supported in an upstanding position upon the I suitable supporting surface.

Formed in the respective tiers are circumferential series of uniformly spaced, shallow, inclined cavities the lower portions of which are depressed to a level somewhat lower than the adjacent beads, as shown in Fig- 2, to provide a means for holding any of various articles. The cavities of the tiers 14, 16 have been designated at 39, 31, the cavities of tier 18 haveben designated at 32, and the cavities of tier 21] at 34. Due to the inclination ofthe surfaces of the tiers, the cavities face laterally, outwardly of the device, to provide an attractive display of articles of food deSignated at-SvS and shown within the several cavities. Saidarticles of food can comprise olives, radishes, and any of various other small articles of food. Or, if desired, various types of delicacies, such as rolled anchovies, or other hors doeuvres can be placed in the dish. The dishcan then be disposed as a centerpiece of a table, and'in this position is readily accessible lar, downwardlyflared auxiliary dish having a center opening at its upper, smaller end receiving'the upper partof theskirt portion-of the dish-1ll. The auxiliary dish 36 may also be formed of ceramic material,;although this is not essential tosuccessfully practicingthe-inven- 1 tion, and is'for-med with .tiersQSQdiL iZ, 44. -Theseare Y respectively-provided with circumferential series of recesses 46, 48, 5t), 52 adapted to hold various delicacies or other small articles of food.

On the inner surface of the uppermost tier 38 of the auxiliary dish, there are formed rounded, large projections 54, said projections corresponding in number and spacing to the cavities 31 of the second tier of the skirt portion of the main dish it). Accordingly, when the auxiliary dish is fitted over the main dish, the projections 54 fit snugly into the several cavities 31, and accordingly, the auxiliary dish is held against rotatable movement relative to the main dish, and further, when the the auxiliary dish will be lifted therewith, so that the interengaged main and auxiliary dishes may be moved from place to placeupon the table.

In Fig. 6,.there is shown a second form of auxiliary V dish, generally designatedat 56, and rotatably supported upon the main dish 10. This auxiliary dish can advantageously be formed of a metal material, such as alu-- minum, stainless steel, sterling silver or silver plate, and at its open, smaller, upper end, is apertured to receive the portion 12. The auxiliary dish in this form of the invention includes tiers 58, 60 and 62, the tier 62 mer ing at its lower edge into a depending, circumferential flange 64.

About the upper opening of the auxiliary dish 56, there isformed a folded lip 66, and this is rotatably supported upon the circular head 22 provided at the bottom of the uppermost tier of the main dish 10. Formed integrally upon the lower edge of the depending frame 64 is an inwardly directed, circumferential flange 68 lying in a horizontal plane and adapted to be disposed close to but out of contact with the supporting surface on which the main dish is supported when in use. The lip 68 at its inner edge merges into an upwardly inclined extension lip 70, which is slidably engaged against the inclined surface of the lowermost tier 20 of the main article.

By reason of this arrangement, the auxiliary dish 56 is rotatably supported upon the main dish at both the upper and lower ends of the auxiliary dish, so as to be held against'tilting from its proper position. The auxiliary dish, when mounted upon the main dish in the form of Fig. 6, provides, in effect, an ornamentally fashioned Lazy Susan, with the auxiliary dish being freely rotatable by one seated at the table, to provide ready access to any of the cavities provided in the tiers 58, 60, 62.

The purpose of the auxiliary dish is not only to seemingly provide a number of completely different relish dishes on different occasions, but also permits the relish dish to hold a greater quantity of food items, since the auxiliary dish members, being greater in diameter from top to bottom thereof than the corresponding portion of the main dish, can be formed with a greater number of cavities, thus increasing the capacity of the device for holding items of food.

It will be seen thatby reason of the construction illustrated, there is provided a relish dish which, as distinguished from relish dishes previously in use, is shaped as a statuette, thus providing an attractive addition to the settingof a table, while at the same time providing a maximum number of food-receiving cavities, increasing measurably the capacity of the relish-dish for holding 'difierent delicacies, it being seen that the number of different kinds of delicacies that can be supported in the cavities is limited only by the number of cavities formed in the device. Heretofore, so far as is known, it has ,not

been proposed to provide dish means in the outer surface 'of the skirt of a gown of a statuette, and the prior art has been directed mainly to the provision of upwardly facing cavities formed in dished receptacles that lie flat upon the table surface. a

Further, it is an important characteristic of the invenuse of the element 56, the dish is converted into a Lazy Susan which can hold various condiments, sauces, small appetizers, etc.

In Fig. 7, the upper portion 12 of the form of dish 10' is shown with a depending flange which may be engaged over the open top 91 of a separate skirt member 15. In other respects this form of the invention is similar to the preferred form and the various parts may be recognized by similar reference numerals with a prime added. This arrangement will permit the placing of vegetables, or other items such as table utensils, flowers,

etc. in the skirt member 15 when the head member 10' is removed.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that i do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letter Patent is:

A dish for food, condiments, and the like comprising an upstanding body having a reduced upper end portion and a downwardly flaring skirt portion shaped to include a plurality of outwardly, upwardly facing cavities adapted to hold different food items, said cavities being arranged in rows extending circumferentially of the skirt portion, the rows being disposed in spaced, horizontal planes, the skirt portion being formed with circumferentially extending tiers each greater in diameter than the tier next above, each tier having a single row of said cavities, said dish further including an auxiliary dish member, flared in a downwarddirection and formed open at its opposite ends so as to be fitted about and supported upon the skirt portion of the dish, said auxiliary dish member being rotatably supported upon the skirt portion, at both the upper and lower ends of the auxiliary dish member, the upper end of the auxiliary dish member including a folded lip extending about the opening of said upper end, said lip being supported upon the bead of one of the tiers of the skirt portion, the lower end of the auxiliary dish member including an inwardly directed, circumferential lip terminating in an upwardly inclined extension lip, saidfextension lip being adapted to engage slidably the surface of the lowermost tier of the skirt portion to provide said rotatable support of the auxiliary dish member-at-the upper and lower ends thereof. l

- References Cited in the file of this pat ent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 26,061 Sykes Sept. 22, 1896 23,218 Gleason Mar. 8, 1859 96,144 Putnam A Oct. 26, 1869 164,208 Portington June 8, 1875 318,523 Tisdale May 26, 1885 520,345 Kern Jan. 28, 1890 697,247 Harris Apr. 8, 1902 1,595,449 Carrm Aug; 10, 1926 2,056,943 Lehman "Oct. 13, 1936 2,438,443 Jermyn Mar. 23, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 15,328 Great Britain Sept. 30, 1889 

